RPD Bites is a monthly scan covering issues and trends surfaced in various local mainstream media sources that would be of relevance to the Malay/Muslim community. It is compiled by the Research and Planning Department (RPD) of Yayasan MENDAKI. The key highlights for this month are: 1. Singapore has entered a technical recession as GDP dives 12.6 per cent, due to circuit breaker measures and weak external demand (ST, 15 Jul). 2. A Beyond COVID-19 Taskforce, formed by National Council of Social Services (NCSS), is planning to help social service agencies digitalise and be more innovative in delivering their services during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond (ST, 4 Jul). 3. The Singapore Cabinet has been sworn in at the Istana on 27 Jul, as PM Lee aims to aims to hand over Singapore “intact and in working order into good hands who will take the country further forward” after steering it through COVID-19 crisis (ST, 27 Jul). The new Cabinet line-up will include 6 office-holders from the Malay community (ST, 25 Jul).

1. July 2020
Sources: The Straits Times/Sunday Times (ST), Berita Harian/Berita Minggyu (BH), Berita Mediacorp (BM)

2. What is RPD Bites?
RPD Bites is a monthly scan covering issues and trends surfaced in various local
mainstream media sources that would be of relevance to the Malay/Muslim community. It is
produced by the Research and Planning Department (RPD) of Yayasan MENDAKI.
RPD Bites begins with an article count across different media sources which are
categorised into these main areas: education, economy, employment and employability, social
and community, and Malay/Muslim affairs. Other salient areas for the month are also
highlighted. It then delves into emerging themes and trends observed.
We hope you find this month’s RPD Bites insightful and useful for your needs. We
look forward to your continued partnership and support, and welcome any suggestions you
might have. You can reach us at RPD@mendaki.org.sg to feedback.
RESEARCH &
PLANNING
DEPARTMENT
2

3. Overall Coverage
• With a total of 289 articles, Governance, Economy and Social emerged as the
top 3 categories for May.
• The articles on The Straits Times/Sunday Times and Berita Harian/Berita Minggu
were mainly on the 2020 General Elections as well as economy, employment
and employability initiatives amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
73
56
38
23
1
40
20 16
3
19
113
76
54
26 20
Governance Economy,
Employment &
Employability
Social Education Malay Muslim
Affairs
No. of Articles
ST BH/BM Total
3

4. Overall Coverage: Key Categories
• Breakdown is as follows: Economy (39),
Employment (31) and Employability (6)
• In the Social-related Issues, the breakdown
is as follows: Family/Household (21), Health
(17), Youth (12) and Community (4).
Economy
51%
Employment
41%
Employability
8%
Economy, Employment and
Employability Issues
Family/Household
39%
Health
32%
Youth
22%
Community
7%
Social-related Issues
4

5. Emerging Themes & Trends

6. Education
Education Developments Amidst COVID-19 Pandemic
• Secondary schools, junior colleges and Millennia Institute will have the option to resume lower-
risk co-curricular activities (CCAs) from 27 Jul (ST, 24 Jul).
• International schools in Singapore have extended financial help to students, as families feel the
effects of the global economic slowdown. Schools have set up funds, while some announced fee
reductions and refrained from tuition fee hikes for the coming year (ST, 20 Jul).
– Efforts come as a survey of 122 expatriate parents in Singapore and Hong Kong showed that
about a third have reported a cut in income due to COVID-19 situation (ST, 20 Jul).
6
• Singapore Examinations and Assessment Board (SEAB) said that students
who missed parts of the O-and A-level mother tongue language
examinations last month because of COVID-19 will be fairly assessed
and not disadvantaged (ST, 13 Jul).
− Special consideration can be applied to the affected candidates,
provided they sit the remaining oral and listening comprehension
examinations scheduled this month (ST, 13 Jul).

7. Education
7
• Minister Ong Ye Kung said that young people today have
a different view of race and religion as compared with
older generations. Conversations in school play a big
role in helping students navigate differences (ST, 17 Jul).
− New generation is more open to talking about such
issues, but need facilitation (ST, 17 Jul).
On Race & Religion
• At an online dialogue organised by OnePeople.sg, Law and Home Affairs Minister K.
Shanmugam said that Singapore has not reached a post-racial state, so there are strong
government efforts and strict laws to ensure racial and religious harmony (ST, 26 Jul).
– While the framework within which Singapore has handled race relationships has worked
well, he said that race and religion remain fault lines (ST, 26 Jul).
– Younger Singaporeans must decide where to draw the boundaries on such discussions,
and lead ground-up efforts to bring these difficult conversations into their
respective communities (ST, 26 Jul).

8. Education
Tertiary Education
• Six autonomous universities here will offer around 2,000 more places this
year due to disruptions caused by COVID-19 pandemic (ST, 7 Jul).
– Additional offers went to Singaporeans whose overseas study plans had
to be put on hold, and to polytechnic diploma holders who had previously
intended to join the workforce but were now opting to study due to the weak
job market (ST, 7 Jul).
• From August next year, undergraduates entering Nanyang Technological
University (NTU) will have to take up a common core curriculum that will
enable them to develop interdisciplinary knowledge and skills (ST, 25 Jul).
– Core courses to take up one-fifth of academic workload, and are aimed at
developing a range of abilities, including communication skills, digital
literacy, and enterprise and innovation (ST, 25 Jul).
– Compulsory courses are designed around society’s greatest challenges
and issues such as climate change and global health (ST, 25 Jul).
8

9. Education
Education Initiatives
• At the Nanyang Technological University’s (NTU) launch of SkillsFuture@NTU – a series of
virtual workshops to help Singaporeans keep up with new work demands –, new Education
Minister Lawrence Wong reminded that learning does not stop at graduation and COVID-19
has accelerated impetus for continuous learning (ST, 30 Jul).
• A record 95 recipients received Defence Scholarship Awards this year (ST, 30 Jul).
• An initiative by United Overseas Bank (UOB) – My Digital Space programme – aims to give
out digital learning kits to students from low-income families (ST, 30 Jul).
9
– Students who get the laptops also have access to an online
resource centre where they can learn about topics such as
sustainability and cyber security, beyond their school
curriculum (ST, 30 Jul).
• Newly appointed Education Minister Lawrence Wong said that the
Education Ministry (MOE) will continue to engage teachers and
staff to improve the education system (ST, 31 Jul).

10. Economy
Economic Developments
• Singapore has entered a technical recession as GDP dives
12.6 per cent, due to circuit breaker measures and weak
external demand (ST, 15 Jul).
• Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong highlighted that Economic
Development Board (EDB) secured $13 billion in new
investments in the first four months of this year despite the
pandemic and recession, as Singapore ‘enjoys a strong
reputation internationally and investors have confidence
in us’ (ST, 2 Jul).
10
• A $45 million SingapoRediscovers campaign by the Singapore Tourism Board (STB), Enterprise
Singapore and Sentosa Development Corporation will be rolled out to drive local spending to
Singapore’s eateries, shops and leisure attractions, which are reeling from a ‘tourist drought’
caused by the pandemic (ST, 23 Jul).
• Firms in Singapore’s manufacturing and services industries remain pessimistic about the
business outlook for the second half of the year, amidst the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and
uncertain global trade and macroeconomic conditions (ST, 31 Jul).

11. Economy
Economic Developments
• The top and immediate priority of the Ministry of Transport (MOT) is to revive air travel and maintain
Singapore’s hub status, as it is critical for jobs and economic competitiveness (ST, 31 Jul).
• Experts note that more airline bankruptcies and job cuts are likely in the coming months once
government support is reduced, with International Air Transport Association noting that passenger
demand for air travel is not expected to return to pre-crisis levels until 2023 or 2024 (ST, 21 Jul).
• Nine cyber security software firms have been awarded up to $1 million each to build systems to
help Singapore shore up the defence of critical sectors including energy, healthcare and defence,
as well as emerging areas like driverless vehicles (ST, 31 Jul).
• Over $4 billion under the Jobs Support Scheme (JSS) will be paid out to 140,000 employers from
July 29 to help them retain about 1.9 million local workers amidst the pandemic.
11

12. Economy
Digital Transformation & FinTech
• A poll by Twilio, a cloud communications platform, showed that the coronavirus pandemic has
significantly accelerated digital transformation in companies (ST, 21 Jul).
– Almost all companies polled are seeking new ways of engaging their customers and
stakeholders (ST, 21 Jul).
• Research unit BCG FinTech Control Tower said that the surge in digital services used during the
COVID-19 crisis is expected to further entrench Singapore as a global fintech hub (ST, 20 Jul).
12
• Speaking at a virtual discussion organised by Lee Kuan Yew School of Public
Policy (LKYSPP), Senior Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam said amidst
calls for the state to play a larger role with the COVID-19 pandemic, size is not
all that matters – there must be a new social compact that directs markets
and empowers communities towards public goals (ST, 23 Jul).
− He said forging a new compact also means abandoning old ways of
thinking, such as the belief that those who fare poorly are not doing
enough for themselves, or that the state is not helping (ST, 23 Jul).

13. Employment & Employability
Employment Challenges
• Overall unemployment rate rose to 2.9 per cent last month after taking into account seasonal
variations – the highest in just over a decade, and up from 2.4 per cent in March. Number of workers
here plunged by 121,800 in the second quarter (ST, 30 Jul).
13
• Recruiters note that job seekers in Singapore are seeing signed
employment contracts rescinded across sectors as
businesses cut back on hiring (ST, 30 Jul).
• Data from job portals this year has shown a drop in
internships. For instance, JobsCentral and BrightMinds had 222
internship and part-time positions listed from January to May,
down from 348 last year during the same period (ST, 4 Jul).
– A wider availability of talent to take on short-term
projects and part-time jobs affects internship
opportunities, as internships are usually created by firms
for such ad hoc work, without them having to hire full-timers
(ST, 4 Jul).

14. Employment & Employability
Support for Businesses & Workers
• According to the NTUC LearningHub data skills report, A
View From The Ground: Closing The Data Skills Gap In The
COVID-19 Era And Beyond, 93 per cent of employers
believe that improved data competencies will enable their
staff to do their job better and 90 per cent showed keen
interest in hiring employees who are data literate (ST, 6 Jul).
14
• More than 12,000 people have been placed in new jobs since March under the SGUnited Jobs
initiative, which was part of the supplementary Resilience Budget to help job seekers cope with
worsening labour market prospects (ST, 4 Jul).
• Mid-career job seekers will be able to apply for more than 13,000 company attachments
through the MyCareersFuture.sg portal. These will come from the pool of positions earlier
approved for fresh and recent graduates (ST, 29 Jul).
• 10,000 residents have found jobs through Workforce Singapore’s (WSG) career matching
services in the first half of this year. Figures are similar to that in the same period last year, even
though the labour market has been badly hit this year by the pandemic (ST, 31 Jul).

15. Support for Workers
• Around 3,000 local job seekers will benefit from a new jobs and skills training initiative called Skills
Ignition SG, launched by Google in conjunction with government agencies Economic Development
Board, Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) and SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG) (ST, 21 Jul).
– Prepares participants for jobs related to digital marketing and cloud technology (ST, 21 Jul).
• Under the SGUnited Skills programme, Singapore Management University (SMU) is linking up with
eight companies to co-deliver courses that will help upskill people (e.g. in business management,
digital and internationalisation skills) keen to make a career change (ST, 18 Jul).
• Under the SGUnited Mid-Career Pathways, mid-career job seekers can now apply for training
courses offered by firms from in-demand sectors to help boost their employability (ST, 26 Jul).
– IBM, Shopee and PBA Robotics are amongst the companies that will be kicking off the first
batch of courses next month (ST, 26 Jul).
– While more business closures and retrenchments are expected, there are sectors that are
expected to grow, such as healthcare and e-commerce (ST, 26 Jul).
15
Employment & Employability

16. Changing Mindsets
• Panellists at a forum organised by SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG) said that change must come
from both employers and employees – the willingness of firms to embrace technology and
employees being open to upskilling and adapting to changes to survive the pandemic.
– Added that ‘attitudinal’ training - the building up of a good mindset towards embracing
change - is just as important as skills training (ST, 20 Jul).
• Speaking after a virtual dialogue with Public Service Commission (PSC) scholarship recipients,
Minister Chan Chun Sing said that those in the public service must continually challenge their
own perspectives (ST, 23 Jul).
• Speaking at DBS Bank’s Asian Insights Conference, Senior Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam
said that the challenge of keeping Singapore's unemployment figures down will “grow in the
months to come”, even as the jobless rate has been kept relatively low (ST, 24 Jul).
– Said that companies need to do their part and help provide attachments and
traineeships for retrenched workers amidst COVID-19 outbreak (ST, 24 Jul).
16
Employment & Employability

17. Social
• Minister Lawrence Wong said that restrictions such as limiting
gatherings to groups of five people or fewer will likely remain
for some time despite more activities resuming under phase two
of Singapore’s reopening (ST, 3 Jul).
• 10,000 vulnerable seniors have received the first batch of the
dongles, which are an alternative to the TraceTogether smartphone
app that is used for contact tracing (ST, 7 Jul).
• A new oscar@sg fund set up by Temasek Trust in Apr 2020 has
so far given out $1.6 million to 52 initiatives, helping more than
125,000 beneficiaries impacted by the virus, such as migrant
workers, seniors and healthcare workers (ST, 13 Jul).
• Making Meaning, a new website launched in May, hopes to
connect creative professionals here with non-profits to support
these organisations that are struggling amidst the COVID-19
pandemic with pro bono work (ST, 13 Jul).
17
COVID-19 Pandemic Developments & Initiatives in SG

18. Social
Social Initiatives
• A Beyond COVID-19 Taskforce, formed by National Council of Social Services (NCSS), is planning to
help social service agencies digitalise and be more innovative in delivering their services during the
COVID-19 pandemic and beyond (ST, 4 Jul). It intends to strengthen social service agencies in three
other ways:
1. raise funds in more sustainable ways
2. improve how manpower and volunteers can be mobilised, and
3. strengthen the capabilities of leaders in the agencies (ST, 4 Jul).
• A $300,000 Create Change @ South East fund has been set up by the South East Community
Development Council (CDC) to kick-start projects by young people who are big on ideas to give back to
society, but lack the capital to achieve their goals (ST, 30 Jul).
• Harvey Norman will be setting up a microsite offering computers and printers that students can purchase
using their $500 e-grant from The Straits Times School Pocket Money Fund (ST, 31 Jul).
• Singapore’s first social enterprise cloud kitchen, The Social Kitchen, will provide jobs for vulnerable
groups while helping food heritage brands to survive during the pandemic (ST, 31 Jul).
• A new $1 million Musim Mas BlueStar* Fund, launched to address mental health issues amongst young
people here, will set aside a total of $100,000 for peer-run initiatives (ST, 19 Jul).
18

19. Social
Social Trends & Research
• There has been a 30 per cent increase in the average number of inquiries to the Ministry of Social
and Family Development's (MSF) adult and child protective services in the post-circuit breaker
month, compared with during the circuit breaker (CB) (ST, 8 Jul).
– Higher number attributed to stepped-up outreach efforts by ministry and its partners during CB
and those who were unable to seek help during CB coming forward now (ST, 8 Jul).
– Inquiries include those related to tension within the family, marital conflicts and disputes;
only a few involved an actual incidence of violence (ST, 8 Jul).
• Number of reported rape cases in Singapore jumped 75 per cent in the last five years, with
about half involving victims aged under 18. Observers attribute the rise to a greater awareness
about sexual assault and willingness to report it (ST, 3 Jul).
• A poll of 564 respondents by the Association of Women for Action and Research (Aware) and
Blackbox Research showed that 49 per cent of parents said they were able to discuss the topic of
sex with their children in an age-appropriate manner (ST, 3 Jul).
– Aware head of research and advocacy Shailey Hingorani stated that these figures were lower
than expected (ST, 3 Jul). 19

20. Social
Family Policy
• FJC is also planning to introduce a simpler way for a
person to take a former spouse to court for failing to allow
access to the children after the breakdown of the marriage
despite being ordered to do so (ST, 20 Jul).
– Currently, the enforcement of access orders comes in the
form of committal proceedings “which can be lengthy
and onerous, with strict procedural steps that have to be
complied with” (ST, 20 Jul).
20
• The Family Justice Courts (FJC) is planning to start a Multi-Disciplinary Team pilot programme
where the same team of judges, mediators, counsellors and other professionals will work together
with a couple from the start to the end of their divorce process (ST, 20 Jul).
– Expected to start in the third or fourth quarter this year, it seeks to reframe family litigation
from being adversarial and rights-focused, to being problem-solving and solutions-focused.

21. Social
Family Trends
• The Report on Registration of Births and Deaths 2019 said 39,279 births were registered in 2019,
an increase of 0.6 per cent from 2018 (ST, 29 Jul).
− Median age of resident live births for first-time mothers increased from 30.6 in 2018 to 30.8
years in 2019. Deaths were on an upward trajectory since at least 2010 (ST, 29 Jul).
− National University of Singapore (NUS) sociology professor Jean Yeung said the increase in
births may reflect couples catching up after postponing child-bearing for awhile and may
also reflect the impact of greater subsidies the Government has been providing for
assisted fertility treatments in the last few years (ST, 29 Jul).
21
• Data from the Department of Statistics showed fewer
marriages and more divorces last year (ST, 29 Jul).
– Sociologists and counsellors note that as
Singaporeans spend more years getting an
education and building their careers, more are
also marrying at a later age (ST, 29 Jul).

22. Social
22
• National Environment Agency (NEA) said that the 2020 dengue
outbreak is set to be worst on record, with more than 14,000
cases reported since 1 Jan and 19 deaths so far this year (ST, 3 Jul).
• From Nov, vaccinations for diseases such as influenza and
chickenpox will be free of charge for eligible Singaporeans under
18 years old. All eligible Singaporean children will get full subsidies
for seven childhood development screenings at polyclinics and
Chas GP clinics (ST, 14 Jul).
• Use of telemedicine is rising due to the pandemic, with more
doctors including specialists using it to see a growing group of
patients for issues ranging from anxiety to chronic conditions like
hypertension (ST, 25 Jul).
• A pilot study in Singapore has found a novel way to gauge seniors’
cognitive functions, without testing them through conventional
methods, by using a network of sensors to track their memory,
movements and sleep patterns over a period of time (ST, 1 Jul).
Health Trends & Research

23. Governance
• About 1.4 million Singaporeans will benefit from $570 million in GST vouchers next month, in the form of
cash payouts and Medisave top-ups (ST, 2 Jul).
• About 1.2 million Singaporean households with at least one Singaporean member in all types of
residential properties will receive a one-off $100 Solidarity Utilities Credits subsidy, to be credited into
the July or August utilities bill under the SP Group (ST, 3 Jul).
• Around 400,000 lower-wage Singaporeans will be receiving $1,500, their first payout of the Workfare
Special Payment. Payout will be given to workers who were eligible for the Workfare Income Supplement
(WIS) scheme before March 31, for their work done last year (ST, 25 Jul).
• The National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) has asked firms to ensure that workers affected by
retrenchments were treated fairly and the Singaporean core of the workforce kept intact (ST, 25 Jul).
• Senior Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam said that median incomes in Singapore have risen by 32
per cent in real terms after accounting for inflation in the last ten years, and that every Singaporean
worker needs to be on a ‘moving escalator’ of better skills and income (ST, 8 Jul).
• Law and Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam said that civil unrest around the world in the past two
years has provided important lessons for Singapore in public order and trust (ST, 30 Jul).
23

24. Governance
• Minister Masagos Zulkifli said that Singapore should continue to
work on its long-term goals like sustainability and digital
transformation even as it deals with near-term priorities
brought on by COVID-19 pandemic (ST, 4 Jul).
– One aspect of the Government’s longer-term plan is to
grow the sustainable sector, which will create specialised
jobs in areas such as carbon and sustainability services,
climate sciences and coastal protection (ST, 4 Jul).
24
Sustainability Goals
• A food perception survey by Singapore Food Agency (SFA) and Ministry of the Environment and
Water Resources (MEWR) in Jan 2020 found that 94 per cent of 1,500 respondents said they were
willing to buy local, but only 65 per cent could identify such produce when shopping for groceries
(ST, 19 Jul).
– Demand for local produce must complement supply in local food production (ST, 19 Jul).
– Importance of food security has been underscored in COVID-19 pandemic which has disrupted
food supply chains, in addition to climate change (ST, 19 Jul).

25. General Elections 2020
• People’s Action Party (PAP) has won 83 of 93 seats (61.24 per cent of the votes) while the Workers’ Party
(WP) takes two GRCs in the 2020 General Elections (GE). This is an 8.7-point swing from its 69.9 per
cent share in the 2015 polls, and slightly above the 60.1 per cent it garnered in 2011 (ST, 11 Jul).
– Opposition presence almost doubled to 10 elected MPs in the next Parliament (ST, 11 Jul).
• WP chief Pritam Singh has been appointed Leader of the Opposition and given staff and resources (ST,
12 Jul).
• Minister Lawrence Wong said that the fall in support for the ruling party was not solely amongst
younger voters, but also amongst other groups such as workers in their 40s and 50s who were feeling
the pain caused by the pandemic (ST, 19 Jul).
– Other reasons cited include WP’s campaign for checks and balances, and emergence of
Progress Singapore Party (PSP). Support fell amongst those who live in private property, though
not uniformly across estates (ST, 19 Jul).
• Senior Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam said the outcome of GE 2020 was good for Singapore, and
reflects a desire amongst Singaporeans for a new balance in politics (ST, 20 Jul).
• Some observers have argued that an Internet campaign benefits the opposition parties, as it enables
them to raise their profiles quickly, affordably and widely (ST, 15 Jul). 25

26. GE 2020
• A total of 17 town councils have been formed following the recent GE, with PAP running 15 of
them. The new Sengkang Town Council (SKTC) will be run by WP (ST, 31 Jul).
• Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs Masagos Zulkifli paid tribute to four departing
Malay/Muslim Members of Parliament, saying they had each made invaluable contributions to
the community (ST, 1 Jul).
– They include former Minister for Communications and Information Yaacob Ibrahim, Dr Intan
Azura Mokhtar, Associate Professor Fatimah Lateef and Mr Zainal Sapari, who did not
stand for the 2020 General Election (ST, 1 Jul).
– New Malay/Muslim Members of Parliament include:
26
1 Ms Mariam Jaafar Sembawang GRC
2 Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim Chua Chu Kang GRC
3 Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin Ang Mo Kio GRC
4 Mr Wan Rizal Wan Zakariah Jalan Besar GRC
5 Ms Raeesah Begum Bte Farid Khan Sengkang GRC
6 Mr Sharael Taha Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC
7 Mr Mohd Fahmi Aliman Marine Parade GRC
General Elections 2020

27. Cabinet Formation
27
• The Singapore Cabinet has been
sworn in at the Istana on 27 Jul, as
PM Lee aims to aims to hand over
Singapore “intact and in working
order into good hands who will take the
country further forward” after steering it
through COVID-19 crisis (ST, 27 Jul).
• New Cabinet line-up will include 6 office-holders from the Malay community (ST, 25 Jul):
− Mr Masagos Zulkifli – relinquished his portfolio in Environment and Water Resources to
take on Social and Family Development.
− Dr Maliki Osman – promoted to Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office as well as Second
Minister for Education and Foreign Affairs.
− Minister of State Zaqy Mohamad – relinquished his National Development portfolio to
become Senior Minister of State for Manpower and Defence.
− Senior Parliamentary Secretary Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim – promoted to Minister of
State for Home Affairs and National Development.
− MP Rahayu Mahzam – appointed Parliamentary Secretary for Health from 1 Sep.
− Mr Mohd Fahmi Aliman – appointed Mayor of South East District, a post previously held
by Dr Maliki.

28. New Cabinet
28
Source: The Straits Times

29. New Cabinet
29
Source: The Straits Times

30. Outgoing Cabinet
30
Source: The Straits Times

31. 31
Malay/Muslim Affairs
• Ms Guy Ghazali, 38, will understudy current
Syariah Court senior president Alfian Yasrif
Kuchit, 42, as the senior president-
designate before taking on the role from 1
Oct. This will be the first time a woman is
appointed to the position (ST, 28 Jul).
• Muhammadiyah Association of Singapore
collaborated with Texas Chicken for a charity
lunch giveaway to 2,000 beneficiaries (BM,
18 Jul).
• More than 50 couples attended a virtual inaugural seminar Islam And Fostering: Webinar
2020, jointly organised by Singapore Muslim Women's Association (PPIS) Oasis, in partnership
with the Singapore Islamic Scholars and Religious Teachers Association (Pergas)) (ST, 19 Jul).
− Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) reported an increased number of
children in foster care in the past five years, after efforts to place more children who
have been abused, abandoned or neglected under the care of foster parents instead of in a
children's home (ST, 19 Jul).

32. 32
Malay/Muslim Affairs
• Under the SG Teguh Bersatu initiative, MENDAKI SENSE, NTUC, and M3 agencies and
Malay Muslim organisations such as AMP, PPIS, Pergas, and NTUC, will increase efforts
to support Malay/Muslim workers affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and ensure that
national and community initiatives can be easily accessed (BH, 3 Jul).
− One initiative is the CariKerja mobile app launched by MENDAKI SENSE to make
it easier for job seekers to search and apply for jobs (BH, 3 Jul).
• Attending a virtual dialogue session with
about 70 M³ mentors organized by
MENDAKI, Minister Masagos highlighted
that mentors under M³ play an important
role in empowering and developing
Malay/Muslim youth with competencies,
good character and citizenry (BM, 24 Jul).

33. 33
MENDAKI Education Symposium
• The MENDAKI Education Symposium 2020, held from 22 to 24 Jul online in collaboration with
National Institute of Education (NIE) Centre for Research in Child Development (CRCD), saw
more than 1,300 attendees including preschool professionals, practitioners, primary school
teachers – local and overseas.

34. 34
MENDAKI Education Symposium
Webinar 1​
How do we teach our children to be ​bilingual
at home and in school?​
Issues Discussed​
• Strategies for teachers and parents to
provide equal exposure to the
development of English and Mother
Tongue languages for young children.​

35. 35
MENDAKI Education Symposium
Webinar 2
How do we improve the quality of teacher-
child interactions in the preschool
classroom?​
Issues Discussed​
• Tools to measure and assess teachers’
competency in the domains of emotional
support, classroom organisation and
instructional support.
• Strategies for Centre Leaders to support
the professional development of teachers
in the area of teacher-child interactions.​

36. 36
MENDAKI Education Symposium
Webinar 3
How do we help children feel safe and ready
to learn?​
Issues Discussed​
• Strategies to support young children
overcome separation anxiety.​
• Role of parents to prepare their young
children for new learning experiences and
environments.

37. 37
MENDAKI Education Symposium
Webinar 4
How do we help children develop self-
control skills?​
Issues Discussed​
• School and home-based activities that can
be carried out to develop children’s self-
control skills.
• The importance of adults scaffolding and
trusting children’s ability to develop self-
control skills.

38. 38
MENDAKI Education Symposium
Webinar 5
How can Neuroscience (knowledge)
contribute to learning and education?​
Issues Discussed​
• Strategies for teachers and parents to
develop children’s executive functioning
skills.​